Handwheel brake operating mechanism



July 9, 1940- E. E'. VAN cLEAvE 2,207,500

HANDWHEEL BRAKE OPERATING' MECHANISM r,

Filed June 16, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v @(71% MM July 9, 1940.

E. E. VAN cLEAvE HANDWHEEL BRAKE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed June 16, 1937 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Patented July 9, 1940 UNTTED YsTATss PATENT okFFrcE 2,207,500 HANDWHEEL BRAKE OPERATING v MECHANISM y Edwin E. van cleave, chicago, 111.

Application June 16, 1937, seria1No. 148,520

la: the mechanism cannot spin to full release position nor is the partial holding back of the brakes dependent upon the strength of the operator. The wheel may be given increments of motion by the operator in the releasing direction and 1&5; at the termination of each increment of motion the brakes are held partially applied exactly according to the setting of the handwheel.

It is also an object of the invention to provide improvements in handbrake operating mechanism 2Q. by simplications enabling the use of few and eicent parts, compactness, and rapid easy assembly thereof and quick accessibility to all parts of the mechanism for the purpose of replacement, if necessary. 25, The objects Aof the invention are attained by means of a construction as illustrated in the drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a face View of the handwheel brake operating mechanism with the casing and Wheel 30g shown as partly broken away to expose the V mechanism inside of the casing.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view as indicated by the line 2-2 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of part 35 of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 for comparison therewith to show disengaged relationship of clutch elements.

Fig..4 is a sectional detail as indicated by the line 13--4 on Fig. l. Y ,mi Fig. 5 is a similar sectionto that shoWn 1n Fig. 4, but shows the ratchet holding pawl with an operating lever whereby the pawl may be'manually engaged or dis-engaged, if desired.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View similar to that shown .m3 in Fig. 3 but with the addition of a separate wheel for actuating the clutch.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing how the casing and a cover plate thereof are locked together without the use of rivets or other 5 9)- iastening means interfering with quick assembly or disassembly of the construction.

A distinguishing principle of the improvement with reference to other handbrake. operating mechanisms is its action. The handwheelis secured to the pinion shaft by whicl'ismotionris 4` Claims. (Cl. 'I4-505) transmitted through gearing and the winding sprocket and chain, to the lbrake rigging. r

Thus, there isa direct driving connection between the handwheel and the brake rigging and the handwheel would ordinarily spin in a reverse 5 direction upon release of the brakes, were it not for a clutch arrangement which is automatic in its action to stop reverse motion of the handwheel and full release of the brake exactly in accordance to how far the koperator turns the 104 handwheel in the brake releasing direction. If the operator, by his own volition, spins the hand-r wheel in a releasing direction faster than the automatic reverse motion of the brake mechanism, the brakes may move to fully released position without interruption. l v

When the operator movesthe handwheel by step increments in a releasing direction, the mecha anism provides for an automatic take-up which holds the brakes applied more or'lessl accord- 20 ing to the steps of movement given the handwheel. l

This eiTect is produced by the use of a particular combination of a driving pinion shaft and a handwheel forming' a positive drive for 25v the brake mechanism, except for a slight rela-f, tive motion between the handwheel and the shaft for the purpose of clutching and unclutching the shaftv to a holding ratchet. v f

As shown in the drawings, the operating'mech- 30 anism is supported in a casing I which maybe riveted in the customary position on an end wall of a railway car at the perforated ears 3 andfd, integral with the casing. The casing is closed by a front plate'2. assembled relation with the casing by a bar 6 'passing through openings in lugs I and 8 formed on the casing. f 4

The bar is held in retaining position by cotter pin 9. Casing I has the bosses I0 and II Vfor 0. receiving the bearing sleeves I2 and I3 for shafts I4 and I5. These shafts are also supportedT by bearing sleeves I 6 and I'I carried in the bosses I8 and I9 formed on the cover plate` 2. The cover plate is made tot an annular opening in casing I which is equal to the diameter. of a ratchet wheel 2|. The -ratchet wheel may be' passed through this opening when the construction is assembled. The boss I9 of plate 2 also fits a circular opening 22 in casing I. y 50` A The' driving pinion 23, integral or fast with shaft I4 and the handwheel 24, is'also supported on shaft I4 through an adapter 25 which fits the square opening 26 in the hub of the wheel. The

wheel turns withthe shaft, except for a `slight f This cover plate is held in'` 5,

lith' the initial motion of the wheel is free of the pinion shaft until it is turned far enough on the thread 21 to change the relationship-'of the coacting clutch elements from that indicated by Fig. 3 to that indicated by Fig. 2. l l y In Fig. 3 the ratchet wheel is free of the Apinion shaft and in Fig. 2 the ratchet'wheel is shown i clamped to the pinion shaft between the flange` 32 on the pinion and the clutch facing 29 on the wheel vadapter 25; The arrangement provides a direct drive between the handwheel and the brake rigging in either application or release directions. Right hand motion of the handwheel is transmitted `through shaft i4 andv the pinion thereon to gear 34 meshing with the pinion and integral with winding l-sprocket 35 to which the end link 38 of the brake operating chain 37 is secured by pin` 33 passing throughapertured ears 39 formed on the sprocket. f

`The ratchet wheel 2| never rotates backwardly, except for a fraction of a tooth space. It is held against backward rotation by gravity pawl 4G. The pawl is ordinarily loose on its supporting pin 4| which is pinned to casing asl shownv in Fig. 4, but when it is desired to' provide the pawl with an operating lever it is mounted as shown in Fig. 5. The pawl is then pinned to a shaft 42, as indicated at 43. secured to the shaft.`

vThe hand wheel is rigidly clamped to thev adapter 25 by nut 45 and the adapter and handwheel are limited in motion along shaft I4 by the shoulder 4:6 and the nut 41 pinned toshaft i4. `When the brakes are applied as far as possible by right hand rotation [of handwheel 2,4 there is a reaction pressure'from' the brakes ordinarily amounting to about 4,000 pounds which is resisted through the gearing by pawl 45. When the handwheel is turned to the left sumciently to unclutch the ratchet' wheel 2| from shaft i4, the'shaft is free to rotate under the reaction'of the brakes vand instantly causes 'the clutch t'o re-engage by screwing the clutch b ack into clamping position according to the inertia or the drag on wheel 24 applied by the operator or'by thefrictionelement 29'.` However, if the wheel is deliberately spun faster than the releasing motion of the brakes, thebrakes may be entirely freed of the holding resistance of the ratchet; Iotherwise, the lfreeing motion of the brakes is`iby` increments'according'to left hand motion imparted to handwheel 24 by the operator; This is a convenient and safeyway of releasing the brakes. The clutch lining 23 offers resistance to thebackward rotationof the hand- Wheel andfprevnts instantaneous violent release of the brakes such as occurswhen a ratchet pawl is withdrawn from a ratchet Wheel. The effective area of clutch 29 is less ythan that of clutch 3| since the latter has the'function of holding the brake`,'while the former will slip more easily than the latter. i i Many brake operating mechanisms ofthe reverse spin type and others of the non-spin type,

Operating lever MisV except with extraordinary exertion of the operator, have the disadvantage of instantaneous full release of the brakes rather than any desired partial release that may be wanted for controlling a car. Some of the features of the device herein shown, but not claimed, are 'claimed in my copending application Serial No. 147,827 filed June 12, 1937.

Fig. 6 shows a modification whereby the handwheel 24 `and an adapter 25' are mounted on a shaft 48 and are ordinarily free to rotate ineifectively on the shaft. These may, however,

be connected yto the pinion 23 and shaft I4' through clutches'29, 3G', 3|', and 32. This is done'by, instead of making the shaft in one part as in Figs.` 2 and 3, making the shaft of interiitting sections I4 and 4S, which have threaded engagement at '219. A small clutch operating wheel 56 is formed at the outer end of shaft 48. By turning the wheel in a right hand direction itis screwed into shaft i4', drawing that section of the shaft and section 48 together. Wheel B bears'against the' end of the adapter 25 and the handwheel fastening nut 5|. This serves to force the adapter and the pinion 23 against opposite sides of the ratchet wheel engaging it at the clutch surfaces. By such a means the ratchet is rendered effective or ineffective for holding the brake, and the handwheel 24 is at the same time? clamped to the operatingmeclianism for operation, or released therefrom.

The assemblage of the mechanism is a simple matter and may be as follows:

The bushings l2 and i3 are first slipped into the bosses l and of casing I; axle l5 and the gear Slt, with the sprocket are `placed in position; then the face .plate 2 with the handwheel unit assembled therein, comprising wheel 24, shaft M, ratchet wheel 2|, and the pinion 23, are placed into position in the casing I and locked vthereto by bar 6.

I claim:

1. In a railway car hand brake mechanism, the combination with a rotary chain winding drum, of a gear fixed thereto for rotation in unison therewith, a driving pinion meshing with the gear, a rotary operating shaft to which the pinion is fixed, al ratchet wheel loose on the shaft, a pawl' for holding the ratchet wheel in one direction, clutch cooperating with the shaft and ratchet wheel to clutch and unclutch the ratchet wheel and the shaft, a hand wheel attached to one end of the shaft, said shaft having a square tapered end for receiving the hand wheel for a non-`rotating` connection and arranged for easy removal 'of hand wheel Without affecting the clutching mechanism in either its clutched or unclutch'e'd positions.

` 2. VI n a railway car hand brake mechanism, the combination with winding mechanism includinga horizontal shaftr having a driving pinion fixed thereto, an extension for the shaft having threadedengagement with the shaft, said exten sion being provided with a tapered square end, an operating wheel removably attached to the square end of the extension, a ratchet wheel loose on the pinion shaft, a pawl for holding the ratchet wheel against movement in one direction, a clutch cooperating with the shaft and the ratchet wheel to clutch and uri/clutch the Vratchet wheel and the shaft, said clutch being arranged for operation byrelative movement between the pinion shaft and the extension thereof on the threaded connection between the shaft and the extension.

l3. Inv a'railway car hand brake mechanism a housing and winding mechanism mounted in the housing, said housing including a detachable supporting plate for winding mechanism, a bearing in the plate, operating mechanism mounted in said bearing and including a driving pinion for driving sai-d winding mechanism, a hand wheel and a 'connection between the hand wheel and pinion providing for limited relative movement between the hand wheel and pinion, and said connection including clutching means for positively connecting and disconnecting the hand wheel with the driving pinion upon relative movement between the hand wheel and the pinion.

4. In a railway -oar hand brake mechanism, the

combination with a rotary 'chain winding drum, `of a gear xed to fthe chain winding drum, a

driving pinion meshing with the gear, a rotaryl operating shaft to which the pinion is xed, means for holding the shaft against rotation in one direction, a clutch cooperating with the shaft and holding means for clutching and unclutching the holding means and the shaft, a hand wheel, and means for connecting the hand wheel and shaft arranged for removal of the `hand wheel without aiecting the clutching mechanism in either its clutched or unclutched positions.

EDWIN E. VAN CLEAVE. 

